Folding carton printing is one of the best selling points in flexo printing (FLEXO PRINTING). More and more cartons use flexo printing to replace printing with gravure and offset printing. The most important thing is that the increase in the precision of printing and processing, and the tendency to respond to "small amounts of diversification" orders, has made many buyers willing and wishing to make prints from flexographic prints.
Printers who want to develop new processing methods for their customers and suppliers who want to extend flexographic printing machines and equipment to printing companies must be aware that folding cartons offer a large market and unlimited business opportunities. For printing factories and suppliers, it is extremely important to understand the characteristics of today's narrow-format flexo printing with "small amounts of diverse" orders and "quick turnover."
Multiple functions / changing speed
In the printing of packaging cartons, online flexographic printing has always been used to provide the highest level of productivity and profitability. Unlike other printing methods, it must be processed step by step, such as decoration, glazing, and cutting, outside the production line. The on-line type flexo press is a production system that has a consistent operation flow, that is, post-printing processing is completed between the same machine operation. After the material to be printed (rolls) enters at one end of the printing press, the contents can be fed into the folder-gluer immediately. In other words, it can be completely "zero inventory, no waste" to the point. With an in-line flexo printing machine, the print shop for printing folding cartons can be saved, which can save a huge amount of waiting time - waiting time for all the various offline job steps - a series of waiting .
In addition, the flexo printing machines that have been consistently operating on-line processing and production are able to save a lot of space compared to the off-line type operations. That is, off-line type printing processing and various machinery and equipment occupy a large floor area and paper feeding and output. Paper and other operating space, as well as various investment in the purchase of various machinery and equipment.
The always-operated flexo press is a press designed for printing diverse materials; it can be printed from plastic film to cardboard. And can be connected to a variety of printing and processing equipment in one, such as: screen printing, lamination, coating, hot stamping, indentation and rotary / platform type cutting equipment.
The printing platform (printer) is designed for a variety of printing applications, with the ability to quickly change printing plates, and plug-in cutting dies as well as movable processing stations, etc., so that the printer can quickly cope with the next file. Work must be done. Many printing companies use the versatility of the press to meet the same customer's multiple orders for ONE-STOP SHOPPING such as stickers, film printing, and paper boxes, as well as printing of various seals. Gift volume and so on.
Due to the needs of the market, it tends to change with "a small amount of diversity." The conventionally-operated flexo press has become more and more attractive. Flexographic printing can provide unmatched delivery time and production profits.
• Higher quality has always been used for production, which means improved printing quality. The quality of the final product has also been improved due to the reduction of work steps. In the off-line factory, after the leaflets are printed, they are sent to the foil stamping department for the second processing, sent to the third department for indentation processing, and then sent to the cutting department for the fourth processing. Every time the paper is fed into the machine, the error of its equipment becomes the key to the quality. In addition, each step takes time to adjust the machine, and waste of material is required for trial printing.
·Less IS MORE
Some people think that the printing width is a problem for flexo printing, but a closer look is a good thing. Printing a carton on a narrow-format flexo press can save a lot of work equipment and printing plate costs. Narrow web presses are easy to change jobs, and cleaning machines is much easier.
Experience has taught us that a 20-inch (50-cm) wide flexo press has been proven to be the best width for a printed carton. Not only is it suitable for larger paper trays with a small number of prints, but it is also suitable for mass printing of small paper boxes because it is possible to print two or three modes at a time.
As for the printing of more than 10 million paper trays, single-printing is a good choice. But for small/medium volume cartons, narrow and medium format flexo presses are gaining a stable market share. This news is currently popular on the market, with 90 to 95% of offset printing operations, which may change to flexo printing.
(Translation: flexo platemaking in recent years due to the rise of CTP digital plate making, making the reproducibility of the photosensitive resin plate can be from 1% to 99%. So it will be like the rise of color separation in the 60s and 70s, This made a huge revolution in the printing industry, that is, the rapidity and effectiveness of plate making, which allowed even the oldest typographic machines to print very beautiful and colorful prints. We also look forward to revolutionizing the color printing of flexographic plates. The epoch of the era is fast approaching, just like lithography, any printer can print vivid colors.)
(Long Chen Company, Huang Xiuchen, translated from 2000/June, US Flexo Magazine FLEXO
